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'ZDUI DGXOWV – are usually the output of larval starvation.   pencils over the female (illustr 15) releasing pheromones.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 3 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Cyan   #21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-
 Dwarf African Queens with wing span of 24.8-27.2 mm   Receptive female will land for mating.
 (n=4 adults – illustr. 12)  are two thirds (67%) the size   Mating starts usually at noon time and lasts in mid-
 of regular adults with wingspan of 36.2-41.7 mm (n=41   summer for about five and a half hours until ~ two hours
 adults) appear rarely in Israeli wild population, but in   before sunset, but if mating starts later in the afternoon   © Ofir Tomer
 breeding farms also as a complete rare “normal” brood   it will procceed a bit later and for shorter time. The length
 (Dan Sharon pers. comm. to DB). The reasons are not   of mating time is sometimes dictated by the male; on
 clear and instead of speculations we leave it to future   19 Sept. 2013 a strange couple was observed in DB’s
 researchers.   breeding cage; where a female was drugging a weak male
 that later was observed hanging dead below her. A day   © Dubi Benyamini   © Dubi Benyamini
 $GXOWV SROOLQDWLRQ WUDSV – during 60 + years of experimental   later they were still in cop. and the female tried to get
 breeding of thousands  chrysippus (since 1958, but not in   rid of him by dragging his corpse among dense vegetation    aestivating larva
 years of their absence) DB observed and documented only   while his claspers were locked on her abdomen tip. But
 four times when proboscis or leg of nectaring chrysippus   she did not succeed and…started to lay eggs over his body
 where caught by a Milkweed’s flower trap: On 17 June   (Benyamini, 2013e). The next relevant record showed a
 2010 DB bred chrysippus larvae on the invasive Araujia   different scenario; on 6 July 2015 afternoon an  in cop.
 sericifera (Apocynaceae ex Asclepiadaceae) and found a   pair was observed on 15:00, three hours later at 18:03   © Dubi Benyamini  © Shalev Weisman
 dead male that could not escape its flower’s pollination   the female moved down and pulled 30-45° sidewise for
 trap, hanging by its proboscis – illustr. 13 (Benyamini,   separation, than she opened and closed her wings, took
 2010e). In summer-fall 2020 DB bred dorippus & crossed   nectar from flowers of  Basil,  Pentas and  Heliotropium
 it with local  chrysippus (see above). Of over 500 bred   (both genders do not feed while mating, even if they stand
 specimens three adults were involved with pollination   on flowers) and flew to disturb males that were ready to
 traps; on 18 Sept. 2020 a female was caught at noon   sleep. On 18:15, 12 minutes after her afternoon mating
 time by flower of  Asclepias curassavica  she was not in   she mated again. In 18:47 she pulled out for separation
 panic and kept pulling her proboscis until 17:00 when the   from the second male, then bent her abdomen as for laying   © Dubi Benyamini
 flower released her without the pollen. On 25 Sept. 2020   eggs but did it to wipe the edge of her abdomen three times
 a chrysippus leg was found inside A. curassavica flower   against the wall net of the breeding cage, flew to a Basil
 trap once again it did not fulfil its function and no pollen   plant for nectaring and remained there for the night. This
 was carried outside the flower. Finally on 7 Nov. 2020 at   interesting scenario showed that a chrysippus female has
 09:15 a leg of female  dorippus was caught in a flower   full control on mating times and possibly even selection of
 of A. currasavica this time it took her three hours to pull   her mates aiming to get missing spermatophores amount
 the pollinium and fly with it to the next flower (Benyamini,   she needed (DB, breeding notes). The maximum mating
 2020n).   time in Israel was a pair that remained  in cop. for two
 The flower’s trap is operated when a fork-like corpusculum   complete days (48 hours); it was possibly a combination
 inside the milkweed flower catches the proboscis or a leg   of cloudy cold days and an “old” couple.  © Dubi Benyamini  © Dubi Benyamini  © Dubi Benyamini
 (only leg in bees) and force the insect to pull the pollinium   Average number of female matings in  Rhopalocera is   parasitized egg
 outside and carry it with the pollen to the next flower. It   between one and two times because a female usually gets
 also happens to other butterflies; Torben Larsen sent   enough spermatophores in a single mating with a young
 DB a B&H photograph of a trapped  Papilio demodocus   male and sometimes needs one more. Not so in Danaus
 (Papilionidae). Ofir Tomer video filmed an adult Melitaea   chrysippus females that may mate five times or more (DB,
 syriaca (Nymphalidae) on 20 Sept. 2006 trapped by flower   breeding notes & Steve Collins pers. comm.)       0          mm1
 of Cynanchum acutum (Apocynaceae ex Asclepiadaceae).   © Dubi Benyamini  © Dubi Benyamini  © Dubi Benyamini
 DB found a dead male Anapheis aurota (Pieridae) that on   5RRVWLQJ:  Danaus chrysippus adults spend the night in
 6 Sept. 2009 was trapped by a flower of A. sericifera; in   communal roosting. In a large breeding cage of DB in Beit
 this exceptional case both antennae and proboscis were   Arye (C Israel) on 9 July 2015 adults started to look for an   © Dubi Benyamini
 caught also between two petals (Benyamini, 2009f) - see   overnight sleeping place in the afternoon and finish to do
 Pollination traps in Vol I. Our limited information suggests   so about two hours before sunset. Finally eleven males
 that such traps are not aimed (evolutionary) to catch   and females landed on a vertical steel wire hanging from
 butterflies because pulling by the tongue (= proboscis) is   the cag’s top, where they found a safe place to sleep (DB,
 not as strong (and successful) as pulling by legs of bees.    breeding notes).

 &RXUWLQJ DQG 0DWLQJ   7HUULWRULDOLW\  The African Queen is not a territorial species
 Land courtship ritual starts when male approaches the   except if attacked by other species; on 19 August 2018 a   © Alex Oz
 female opening and closing its wings. Receptive females   male was flying near Ein Afeq nature reserve in W Galilee,   n. ab. mishan, Benyamini 2021.
 stand quite with closed wings, the male approaches from   along a dirt road bordered with Tamarix trees with its LHP    Israel, HaShofet stream, 120 m, 20 Aug. 2021
 the side align along the female and bend his abdomen   Cynanchum acutum climber. Entering a territory of male
 sidewise to the female’s genitalia for mating, then they   Pelopidas thrax this large skipper immediately attacked
 turn faces away, her wings between his wings and she   the penetrating Danaid but the larger peaceful Queen
 hangs herself below him in the air, but in windy weather   changed its manners and stated to fight the skipper
 she grips a nearby branch to prevent falling down - illustr.   “pushing” it far out of its territory. However it did not
 14. When disturbed  in cop. male carries the female in   remain there to celebrate its victory and flew out of sight
 flight. Rejective female fly away, or flip / vibrate her wings   (Benyamini, 2008g). On 31 Oct. 2021 a similar scenario
 and lift her abdomen to repel the male. Isolated females   took place inside the Klil Butterfly Park in Karmiel N Israel,
 that were introduced to males started courting by flattering   but this time it was a territorial Polyommatus icarus that   © Dubi Benyamini
 around them or landing on them – unusual behaviour for   was driven out its territory by a patrolling chrysippus male
 butterfly females. In aerial courting male extract his hair   (DB pers. obs.).    © Yaron Mish'an

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